Ch. 321..325: Forbidden Heat R18 Chapter 321-325

Chapter 321: Reiner - Gone

‘The number that you’ve dialed cannot be reached at this moment. Please try again later’

The female sound of the automatic machine shocked me, and my phone slipped from my hand, falling to the bed beside me. Reiner...is unreachable? How can that be?

I blinked rapidly as I tried to snap out of my shock. Grabbing the phone, I started doing what the machine had just told me to do. I tried calling him again...and again...and again. This was now the fifth time that I was listening to the same automatic recorded message but still my brain refused to believe that I couldn’t get in touch with Reiner.

Where is he?

As my thoughts were running wild in my head, suddenly the door to my room opened. My whipped my head around towards the door so fast that my neck made a cracking sound. However, the person that walked it wasn’t the one that I was hoping and expecting to see.

“Natalia...”

My eyes widened in shock and before narrowing in recognition. Why he is here? Where is Reiner?

“Zak...” I said, my voice coming out as a breathless whisper.

“How are you feeling?” Zak asked casually as he strode towards my bed.

I watched a very handsome Zak dressed in an all-white suit approach me before taking Reiner’s usual seat next to my hospital bed. Alarm bells were ringing so loudly in my ears that I thought that I was about to go insane. Something is very wrong here. Why is Zak here instead of Reiner?

“Zak...why are you here? Where is Reiner?” I asked.

I could hear the panic in my voice, and I was sure that Zak could as well. Zak turned and smiled his charming smile at me before he reached for my hand. His hands held mine and squeezed them comfortingly. It was his action that spoke louder than words every could. At that moment, I just knew that Zak was here to comfort me, and the reason was simple: Reiner is gone.

Without needing to hear any confirmation from Zak, tears started leaking out from my eyes before slowly rolling down my cheeks. Zak looked at me with a melancholy look on his face as he silently watched me cry and sob. I heard Zak sighing softly before he stood up and pulled me into his arms as he hugged me tightly to him. I pressed my face against his hard chest as I hugged him close to me and cried my eyes out.

"Why did he leave?!” I wailed like a child.

Zak didn’t reply to my question because he knew that I wasn’t looking for an answer. Instead, he softly stroked my back and then my hair as he whispered loving and comforting words softly into my ear.

“He told me that he would still be here...when I...woke up...” I said, choking on my own tears.

I knew that Zak hated it when I cried. It wasn’t because he hated it when I became emotional or that he saw me as a burden. He hated it because it hurts him whenever I cried. I knew that but I just couldn’t stop crying. Zak held me in his strong arms and let me let it all out.

I wasn’t sure how much time flowed by as I emptied my tears but by the time that I was done, I felt slightly better. Although I knew that nothing had changed and the situation had not improved, I still felt slightly better for getting to let it all out.

“Are you done?” Zak asked as he slowly let go of me.

“Yeah...” I replied in a choked-up whisper.

“Water? You cried so much I thought you would never stop...” Zak said jokingly as he handed me a cup of water.

Slowly, I took the cup into my hands and realized that my hands were shaking. Zak quickly realized that too and took the cup away from my hands before pressing it to my lips. I drank the water thinking that I thought that I would never stop crying either. I wondered how Zak turned up here and then realized that Reiner probably called him here. It all bothered me; I didn’t know that these two were close.

“Did Reiner tell you that I’m here?” I asked.

“Yup, he did,” Zak replied casually.

“Did he...tell you anything else?” I asked, feeling slightly hopeful.

“He told me that he already told you everything that he knew and that he’s not coming back,” Zak replied bluntly.

“Oh...” I muttered. That was all that I could manage to say. Honestly, I was robbed for words.

“Natalia...” Zak called my name softly.

“Hmm?” I made a questioning sound.

“I’m about to say something pretty crazy, but will you hear me out?” Zak asked as he stared deeply in to my eyes.

“...Sure...” I replied.

Whatever it was that Zak wanted to tell me, I’ll always hear him out. If Zak was referring to it as pretty crazy then it must be out-of-this-world crazy because I knew that on normal people’s standards, Zak was an ultra-handsome yet super crazy person.

...

The call connected and a deep voice started talking from the other end of the line.

“How is my boy doing?” the voice said.

“Stop calling that huge bear a boy please...it makes me feel sick...” the old man replied.

“Answer my question,” the voice said emotionlessly.

“He’s alive and well...” the old man replied just as emotionlessly.

“Did you meet him?” the voice asked.

“Yes, I did...” the old man said, keeping his responses short.

“What about the search?” the voice asked.

“He’s...found it, I think...” the old man replied, this time a little hesitantly.

There was a moment of silence as if the man on the other end of the line had paused to think of something. However, he didn’t make any comments.

“What about my special delivery?” the deep voice asked.

“It’ll be there soon. Just you wait...” the old man replied casually.

“I can always trust you,” the voice stated.

Basically, that meant that failure to deliver wasn’t an option.

The line disconnected immediately. It was rare for wishes from his monstrous client to match with another’s like this. He smiled to himself as he looked down at the letters on a black screen of the request that had just came in.

Chapter 322: Reiner - A Mission

**A Week Later**

Going home was something that Reiner didn’t look forward to and that was precisely why he hasn’t been home in many years. After running off and living life as he pleased for many years, he had decided that it was time to head home. Unfortunately, he owed his old man some explanations and perhaps an apology or two. All in all, Reiner still disliked the idea of going home.

A few days earlier, Reiner received a call from the old man asking him to take on a job. That was the moment that he truly regretted telling the old man that he was going to head home. It was just like the old man to make some profit to line his pocket in all situations.

“You’re heading there anyways...” the old man said like it was no big deal.

“Find someone else,” Reiner snapped.

“It’s a C-rank job. It should be child play for you...” the old man said.

“Exactly. Anyone can do it. It doesn’t have to be me,” Reiner argued back.

“The client requested for you. They’re willing to pay the rate of a S-rank mission,” the old man replied.

“Send someone else. Stop overcharging your clients. It won’t be good for your business in the long term,” Reiner said, sounding bored.

“I’m not over charging them. They were the ones that offered. Are you even listening to me?” the old man said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“You just want to make more money. Just admit it, old man,” Reiner said and he wasn’t teasing.

“And what’s wrong with that?” the old man asked.

“Nothing. Find someone else to take the job,” Reiner replied emotionlessly.

“You’re heading there anyways. I’ll chip in a private jet. You can fly it, right?” the old man offered.

“I don’t want to take on any job...” Reiner said stubbornly.

“Transport the package in a jet. When you arrive, I’ll send you the instructions from the client. Don’t open the package. Simple,” the old man stated convincingly.

“Doesn’t these simple yet over paid mission makes you wonder what is inside the package?” Reiner asked.

“Well...considering the people who live on that island, it could be something really wild. However, rules are rules. You must not open a client’s package. This is a transportation job. We transport and that’s it,” the old man said resolutely.

“Yeah yeah...” Reiner muttered.

“So, you’ll do it?” the old man asked, excitement clear in his voice.

“If I can pick the plane...” Reiner stated his condition.

“Done. Pick whichever plane you want. I’ll just add it to the client’s bill...” the old man said before chuckling gleefully.

“Don’t overcharge them,” Reiner said.

“Of course, I won’t. What do you take me for?” the old man said teasingly.

“Send me the details. I’m hanging up...” Reiner said plainly.

...

According to the old man, he didn’t have to do anything besides piloting the plane to the private island owned by his father. Unfortunately, a client had requested for a special package to be delivered to the island. He wondered which resident was desperate enough to pay for such an expensive delivery fee. Fortunately, that meant that he could fly private back to his home.

The instructions were simple enough. Reiner arrived at the location where the plane was parked and all he had to do was pilot it. The package was already loaded and secured within the plane. Once he landed, the old man will send him another message with separate instructions on how he should make the delivery. It was so simple that it was a boring C-rank mission indeed.

Reiner got on the plane and entered the pilot’s cockpit. It’s been a long while since he’s piloted a plane, but that fact didn’t bother him. If the plane crashes, he’ll die alone with some cargo, so it wasn’t a big deal. He ran his fingers through his red hair before sighing loudly in the cockpit. He still couldn’t believe that he was on his way home after all these years. After a few hours, he would land on the private island that he called home. It would be good to see if things have changed around there but he doubted that it would have changed much if at all.

After doing some safety check, he was ready for take-off.

**A few hours later**

The weather throughout the flight was pleasant with tailwinds to help shorten the journey slightly. Reiner wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. As the distance between himself and his home shortened, he started feeling slightly nervous. He was looking forward to seeing his mother but the same couldn’t be said about his father. The worst part was he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do now that he had left Natalia to get on with her life. He’s supposed to get on with his as well, but he wasn’t sure what to do about that yet.

Reiner frowned as he wondered what Natalia was doing now. She’s probably still at the hospital and Zak must have arrived there to see her already just like he had instructed. Reiner remembered the shock in Zak’s voice when he called to tell him that he was leaving. For some reason, Zak sounded upset. The question that Zak asked pulled at this heart.

‘What about Natalia?’ was what Zak had asked.

Reiner sighed loudly once again. If Zak is with her then she should be ok, he thought. Just like he had promised Zak a long while ago, he had told Natalia the truth as he knew it. Although, he wasn’t sure if he was or would ever be prepared for her reactions to the story that he told her. It doesn’t matter now, he thought as he tried to focus on the task at hand. He knew that Natalia was a tough girl and that she’ll get over him eventually.

One day she would find a suitable man for herself. Either that, or the Elders will arrange for a suitable partner for her. One that would take care of her and also work to further the interests of her family’s company. She would get married to a wealthy husband with a sparkling clean background, have a family of her own and live a happy life. The end.

Chapter 323: Reiner – Can’t Get Away

While his head was wrapped in thoughts, the destination island came into view. Reiner had mixed feelings as he stared at the island that was his home from above. On one hand, he sort of missed the place and wanted to visit after being away for so long. On the other hand, he didn’t want to face the complications of his family and the never-ending demands of his father. A normal life wasn’t something that he had.

He rubbed the back of his neck and flexed his stiff shoulders before he started to prepare for landing. Reiner hoped that whatever he was transporting wasn’t fragile items because he didn’t think that the landing would be smooth.

After landing the plane, Reiner took a look at the phone that he was given for this mission. Now that the plane had landed in the correct designated location, he should be receiving a message on what to do next. Reiner stared at the phone screened as he wished that the instructions would say something along the lines of ‘just walk away’.

The phone vibrated, notifying that a text message had arrived. Reiner brows knitted together as he frowned at the text that he had just read.

‘Open the cargo,’

That was all the message said. Open the cargo and then what, Reiner thought in confusion.

“Is this some type of mistake?” Reiner spoke through the phone.

“I don’t know. I’m just following instructions,” the old man replied.

“I’m not opening the cargo. It’s not part of the job,” Reiner replied emotionlessly.

The weather felt too humid for his tastes, and he wondered if it was going to rain today. The small private airport where he had just landed was pretty much deserted safe for a few staff that manned the terminal. He felt irritated and couldn’t be bothered to deal with the old man’s or the client’s selfish demands.

“Open the goddamn cargo! Be a professional and complete your mission!” the old man shouted through the phone loudly.

Reiner moved the phone away from his ear and winced in annoyance. He just couldn’t understand the request. It was abnormal for a transporter to open the cargo. He sighed thinking that whoever was supposed to pick up the cargo could open it themselves. The suspicions he had when he took on this mission was quickly confirmed: this mission was a big pain in the ass.

“Ok...” Reiner mumbled before hanging up.

Reiner headed back to the plane. He stared at the door of the cargo section of the plane. That was when he realized that even the cargo had proper ventilation systems and air pressure control. A slight sense of dread filled him as he began to consider the possibility that the contents in the cargo was living. He closed his eyes and sighed again, he felt tired and didn’t want to deal with this. He wasn’t against animal trade because he knew that his job was just to transport.

However, he wasn’t looking forward to opening up a cargo filled with live animals. If someone from this island ordered it, then it wasn’t going to be a den full of cute looking little puppies, that’s for sure. Illegal or exotic animals were probably inside. Once again, he had no idea why he had to be the one to open the cargo. Reiner knew that thinking about it wasn’t going to do him any good. Better get this over and done with so that he can head back home.

Scratching his head in annoyance, he started to unlock the cargo door. Slowly, the cargo door slid open. It was a little dark inside with only dim lighting and at first Reiner couldn’t see much. He braced himself and had one hand on his gun in case the animals were not in proper cages. They better be, he thought to himself. This is exactly why he hated opening up unknown cargo. If a tiger or something similar jumps on him, he’s just going to shoot it.

Fortunately, nothing like that happened and he was able to open the door all the way without having something jump out at him. He couldn’t see well because of the dim lighting so he turned on the flashlight on his phone. The cargo room was large, Reiner bent down a little to enter through the door.

Surprisingly the cargo room was largely empty. Apparently, the client didn’t ask to transport much although they paid an exorbitant price for the service. Not that that was his problem. When his light shown on the mid-section of the room, he froze.

For the first time, he realized what this whole affair was about.

Sitting on a dark red velvet sofa in the center of the cargo space was a woman.

...

The door started moving and light from the outside shined in through the opening crack in the door. Inch by inch, the door slid open, and more light entered the cargo room. I guess that we have arrived. Everything was progressing exactly like it was supposed to. Any moment now...

I sat on a comfortable sofa that had been prepared for my journey as I waited patiently. I had spent the last few days and the entire flight thinking about this moment and what I would do when it arrived. From all that thinking, I figured out that a little surprise wouldn’t be a bad thing after all.

I heard footsteps as someone came into the room and started walking deeper inside. Then a flashlight turned on, its bright light almost blinding. I held my breath in anticipation as I anxiously waited for the moment that I would be spotted. There wasn’t a lot of things in this room. Most things were there to ensure that I had a comfortable flight, although the flight was a short one.

The man came closer to me now and soon the flashlight landed on a part of the sofa. I could sense the man tensing as he spotted the first content that was inside the cargo. I almost had to place a hand over my mouth to keep myself from giggling and making any sounds. Seconds later, I could feel the bright spot of light from the flashlight on my chest and mid-section. At that same moment, I heard a sharp intake of breath, and the man froze in place.

He’s probably so shocked right now...

“Natalia...”

The voice that I had been desiring to hear for the past week finally spoke my name.

“Did you think that you could get away again, Reiner?” I asked as I smirked a little at him.

Chapter 324: Reiner – Shocking Surprise

The shocked expression on his face was priceless. I guess my surprise worked extraordinarily well. Never even in his wildest dreams, would Reiner expect to see me here and like this. This is all thanks to Zak’s genius of an idea. When Zak proposed this option to me, I couldn’t believe how crazy it was.

The crazier thing was that I accepted even without thinking twice. Although I was overly worried about leaving Zak, I still decided to do it. It was like it was the most natural option for me. I chose to jump on this plane so that I could be with Reiner without considering anything or anyone else.

**Around a Week Ago**

“I’m about to say something pretty crazy, but will you hear me out?” Zak asked as he stared deeply in to my eyes.

“...Sure...” I replied.

I had no idea what Zak was about to say but his next words left me reeling back in shock. Zak smiled at me a little before he bit on his lower lips to gather his thoughts and prepare his next words carefully. My eyes were glued to his prince-like face as I waited eagerly to hear what it was that he wanted to say.

“Natalia, what about you stop being a Rosenhall?” Zak suggested before smiling brilliantly at me.

What does that even mean?

“What? I don’t...understand...” I managed to say in a shaky voice after I had recovered from my initial shock.

“Do you want to be with Reiner?” Zak asked knowingly.

“Zak...is something wrong?” I asked, not sure why Zak was saying these things.

“Do you or do you not?” Zak asked as his eyes glared at me, demanding for an answer.

I closed my eyes and sighed. There was no point denying it. Zak probably already knows the answer anyways.

“Yes...” I replied in short.

“Good. Perfect...” Zak said with relief.

His reaction couldn’t have confused me more. Why was he relief that I wanted to be with someone else?

“What?” I said in shock.

“Listen. You have to get out of here. Far far away from the Rosenhalls,” Zak said as his hands gripped my shoulders firmly.

He’s going to send me away? Where? Why?

“What about you? What will you do?” I asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself, Natalia. Never worry about me,” Zak said firmly.

“No...that’s...” I began saying.

“You want to go, right? Then just go. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll help you. I’ve already found a way to get you out. If you tell me that you’re willing to go, I’ll work everything out for you...” Zak said passionately.

“What about you? What are you going to do?” I asked worriedly.

“Listen, Natalia. You can’t stay. If you do, you’ll keep getting hurt. I’ll rather let you go than to see you get hurt over and over again. I’ll be fine,” Zak said before smiling sadly at me.

“But I...” I began protesting.

“I know that you want to be with Reiner, but you’re worried about me. You don’t have to worry. Things will be easier for me if you’re not here. My mother has been using you as a chain to bind me for a long time now. It’s time we put a stop to that. I’ll set you free and then I’ll be free as well,” Zak explained calmly.

“Zak...” I whispered his name.

“We don’t have a future together, but I will help you reach the future that you want. I told you before, right? I love you, Natalia...” Zak said before smiling charmingly at me.

“I don’t know what to say...” I said honestly. I really didn’t know what to say and instead I felt like I was just going to start crying.

“You don’t have to say anything, Natalia. Just do as I say, ok?” Zak said, his voice ever so gentle.

“Ok. Thank you...Zak...” I said softly before pulling Zak into a hug.

In the end, I ended up crying again in his arms. However, this time I was crying for a different reason.

...

**Back to the Present**

Reiner froze in shock, and I could tell that he was already evaluating the situation and figuring out his next move. I didn’t think that there were many things that he could do now that I was already here. Patiently, I waited for Reiner to say something to me. Apart from his name, Reiner had not said anything else.

Without saying a word, Reiner quickly turned his back to me and before I could react, he had already sprinted out of the plane.

“Wait! R!” I called after him loudly.

The loud sound of the door sliding echoed in the room and the light coming in from outside slowly shrank. Reiner is closing the door?!

I shot out of my seat on the sofa and started running towards the door. What does he think he’s doing? By the time, I got to the door, it was completely closed. Pulling on it was useless; the door was locked firmly from the outside. Did he just lock me up in here? What is going on?

“R! Open the door! R!” I screamed loudly.

My hands beat on the door making loud banging sounds as I yelled over and over for him to open the door for me. I wasn’t even sure if he could hear me from the outside, but I still had to do something. He can’t just lock me up in here and ignore me. If I had dreamt of a loving and heartwarming reunion, reality was teaching me that dreams don’t come true.

“R! Reiner! Open the door! Let me out!” I yelled louder.

My hands were starting to hurt. I felt around the door and found out that the door didn’t even have a handle on the inside. I guess lifeless packages and animals don’t need to open the door from the inside. Honestly, I knew that Reiner would be surprised and probably slightly pissed off, but I never dreamt that he would just abandon me in here like this.

...

Reiner shut the door firmly and locked it before reaching for the phone in his pant pocket and pulling it out. After overcoming his initial shock of seeing Natalia in there, it was immediately clear what he needed to do.

Chapter 325: Reiner - Warm Welcome

“This wasn’t what we agreed!” Reiner shouted exactly when the line connected.

The old man on the other side of the line winced at the loudness and aggression in Reiner’s voice. Although he was expecting this reaction from Reiner, he didn’t think that it would be this bad. It was extremely rare for Reiner to raise his voice like this.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about...” the old man said passively.

“I’m sending her back!” Reiner shouted loud and clear into the phone.

“You can’t do that...” the old man stated.

“Of course, I can. You knew about this, didn’t you?” Reiner said accusingly.

“Does it matter?” the old man replied without a care.

“I’m sending her back. She cannot be here,” Reiner repeated his intention again.

“The client specifically ordered for her to be delivered...” the old man countered sternly.

“I don’t care!” Reiner roared into the phone.

“Even if I tell you that the client is your father?” the old man asked followed by a low laugh.

“...What?” Reiner exclaimed in shock.

For a moment, Reiner truly prayed that he had just misheard. His father ordered for Natalia to be delivered to him. Why? This was just insane...

“You’re going home anyways. Just deliver her to your father. You can both share a ride. Of course, your father already arranged it. Your...escorts should be arriving shortly...if not already...” the old man said calmly.

“No, she needs to go back...” Reiner repeated.

“You can tell that to your father. This time, I’m hanging up,” the old man said before he hung up.

Reiner looked around to see armed men closing in on him. With a resigned sigh, he slowly raised his hand up above his head. These men were probably the escorts that the old man was referring to and that meant that they worked for his father.

“Welcome home!” one of the men shouted loudly before laughing.

“This isn’t exactly what I envisioned for a welcome home party...” Reiner replied while aware of the guns being pointed at him.

“I don’t want to do this either. I’d rather be chilling on the beach...” the man replied.

“Same as always...” Reiner muttered underneath this breath.

“You two, go grab the girl,” the man said to the other in his team.

“Don’t you dare touch her...” Reiner said threateningly.

“I see. Well, then we’ll leave it to you to deal with her then...” the man said with a sigh.

“Why does King want her here?” Reiner asked.

“You can ask him that yourself. If you ask me, he probably saw some hot bikini photos of her, and you know the rest...” the man replied with a hearty laugh.

...

I think I heard the sound of people talking outside, but I wasn’t sure. The walls of the plane must be very thick because I could hardly hear anything at all. I wasn’t sure if it was just my own imagination. Placing my ear against the door, I tried to focus on listening to the sounds coming from outside.

Suddenly, I heard the sounds of the door unlocking from outside. It must be Reiner. Finally, he’s going to let me out. I guess he’d already recovered from his initial shock of finding me here.

“R...” I called his name when the door opened.

“Do exactly as I tell you. Your life could be at risk,” Reiner stated matter-of-factly.

What is going on? I had so many questions that I wanted to ask him, but the very stern look on his face told me that this wasn’t the time. At least, he’s letting me out so that means that he’s not taking me back home. I nodded obediently.

Reiner grabbed my wrist before opening the door wide and pulling me out of the plane. I gasped in shock at the numerous armed men that surrounded us and the plane. So, it wasn’t just my imagination when I thought I heard people talking outside. I’ve seen armed men before such as our bodyguards and such, but they were all dressed in suits. These men looked like soldiers or mercenaries and they probably were.

“Let’s go. If you follow obediently then we probably have no need for blindfolds and restraints. Is that, ok?” one of the men said to Reiner.

“No need,” Reiner replied immediately.

The man turned and beckoned for us to follow him. Reiner began walking slowly and I did the same to keep up with him. While the other armed men slowly moved along with us, their guns always pointed at Reiner and me. Who are these men and why are we being treated like this?

Soon we arrived at the cars that were waiting for us. Reiner and I were ushered into one of the cars and the driver started driving immediately. Reiner seemed calm enough, but I could tell that he wasn’t expecting this either. I glanced over at him but he just ignored me, so I decided to focus on the view outside instead. The road we took was probably along the coastline because I could see the beach and the sea from here.

The sunrays reflecting off the blue surface of the sea made the water seem to sparkle. The sand on the beach looked golden and appealing; however, there were hardly anyone on the beach. Perhaps, this place isn’t a very popular tourist destination.

Soon we arrived at a large gate with super high walls. After some safety inspections conducted by men carrying big guns, we were admitted inside. The place was so huge that it was like a community of its own inside the walls. The car continued to move as we drove past various buildings and houses. The building and houses were well organized and shared a similar look and feel that reminded me of the French architecture styles and the riviera. White walls with tones of blue and black railings on the balconies. The beautiful gardens with flowers everywhere. It was such a beautiful and orderly place.

“Where are we?” I whispered to Reiner.

“My home,” he replied in short.